HomeKit lights are one of the largest categories and we’ve reviewed a number of options, but  HomeKit desk lamps, however, are a rarer breed.  While there are a few different options on the market with a variety of features, today we’re looking at the Santala Desk Lamp. It’s got a pretty modern design, but are its features equally as smart?

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Features

• Flexible positioning of lamp head and support arm
• 4 adjustable color temperatures
• 10 adjustable brightness levels
• Qi wireless charger
• USB port for charging
• Touch controls

Need to Knows

• 800 lumen max. Brightness
• 2800 – 5600K color temperature range
• 5V / 2.4A / 12W max. Input
• 5 ℃~ 45 ℃ operating temperature
• Connects over 2.4 WiFi band

Pros

The Santala Desk Lamp really is a slick looking lamp.  It has a modern aesthetic with a brushed aluminum support arm which can be adjusted up to about 90˚.  The slender rectangular lamp head containing the 48 LEDs extends to approximately 135˚ from the support arm.  The base has a glossy plastic surface with touch-sensitive buttons for controlling power, brightness, and color temperature.  The base also has a painted indicator for proper placement for the Qi charger.  The only other notable point with the design is the micro-USB input port for power and the USB Type A for devices that do not support the Qi wireless protocol.  I really do appreciate very simple yet functional design.

I didn’t think I would notice much in a desk lamp, but I found the adjustable color temperatures useful.  My office is outfitted with color temperature bulbs which automatically adjust throughout the day .  There is something oddly disturbing when you have multiple light sources emitting temperatures from different ends of the spectrum.  While there are only 4 temperatures to choose from, you can get a pretty close match throughout the day.

While Santala were certainly not the first to add a wireless charger to a desk lamp, they managed to do so in a practical way. The inclusion of a USB-A port for tablets and other devices is a definite plus.  Most surprisingly though, is the price point.  It comes in at less than $50 in the US.  Considering its features and smart connectivity, I do think it is a bargain.  This being said, some things had to be left out to reach that price point.

Cons

Though it is technically a HomeKit desk lamp, the biggest downside to this lamp is the lack of smart control over the color temperature.  I imagine this is a direct result of trying to keep the lamp on the cheaper side.  However, it is disappointing to open the app to find only brightness controls.  Lest you think that temperature adjustment was reserved for Santala’s native app, this is not the case.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t receive a wall brick with my review unit, you should.  This aside, during my testing I noticed the lamp struggling to power more than one device at a time when using a 10W wall wart which is slightly less than the included 12W adapter.  However, when I connected the lamp to a USB 3.0 port on my iMac, I was able to power the lamp, charge my 11 Pro Max, AND my iPad Air.  Charging speeds, however, are a different story.

While the touch controls on the base of the lamp definitely play well with the sleek design of the unit,  I don’t personally care for touch controls.  I prefer to have physical feedback when making physical adjustments.  Being able to just reach over without looking and make a quick lighting change is a good thing in a lamp and that isn’t possible with the Santala lamp.

The App

Not surprisingly, there is nothing special about the Santala app.  We have the same controls as we do in HomeKit in terms of the accessory.  You can also create scenes, but there is no ability to create automations using the Santala app.  As always, I do recommend downloading the app when you first set it up to check for any firmware updates.  You may want to also do this periodically as well.

As we mentioned above, functionality as a HomeKit desk lamp is limited to brightness control.  However, once we’ve changed the color temperature on with the touch controls, brightness is just a swipe away.  Other than this, the lamp functions as any other HomeKit light with the ability to add it to scenes in automations in any app that supports this.

Final Thoughts

Throughout my review, I pondered the cost of adding the ability to adjust color temperature through an app versus the added cost to the consumer.  While I don’t have those sorts of industry connections, I imagine it is significant.  I have to assume that this was a consideration in the design phase of this lamp.  It’s very possible that the profit margins for a product like the Santala Desk Lamp are so thin that it just wasn’t feasible for the price point.  Personally, I would pay more for the added functionality.  Especially now that Apple is bringing Adaptive Lighting in iOS 14. A HomeKit desk lamp would be ideal for this application.  I must say that this lamp is a great addition to a setup in terms of reducing clutter especially if your workflow involves multiple devices that require juice.

For more information on the Santala Desk Lamp and their other HomeKit-enabled products, check them  out at https://www.santalalife.com

Santala provided a sample unit for the purposes of this review. All opinions are solely those of myHomeKit home and the content was not reviewed by the company before publication. No financial compensation was offered nor received for this review.

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